How New Wearable Tech Targets Brain Waves for Better Sleep
Jan 10, 2025
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Jo Craven McGinty, WSJ Science Bureau Chief and a specialist in sleep technology, dives into the world of innovative wearable devices designed to enhance sleep quality. She discusses fascinating tech like the EleMind device, which uses sound to modulate brainwaves, and the Somni headband, delivering electrical pulses for better sleep. McGinty also highlights the Lumos sleep mask that adjusts circadian rhythms through light stimulation, proving especially useful for travelers and shift workers. Discover how these advancements might revolutionize your nightly rest!
Wearable sleep devices like EleMind's headband and Somni's electrical stimulation effectively target brainwaves to enhance sleep quality.
Lumos' innovative sleep mask utilizes light to regulate circadian rhythms, helping users adapt quickly to time changes and improve sleep.
Deep dives
Measuring the Value of AI
Determining the return on investment (ROI) of artificial intelligence (AI) goes beyond just examining the upfront technology costs involved. It encompasses the entire ecosystem surrounding an AI model, which includes data collection, serving infrastructure, and necessary personnel. Effective solutions require optimization of various workflows that may involve a combination of AI, human input, and automation. The overall value derived from these optimized processes is crucial for enterprises to measure and understand the true impact of their AI investments.
Innovations in Sleep Technology
Wearable sleep devices are emerging as innovative solutions to improve sleep quality by targeting brainwaves with sound and light. EleMind, for instance, has developed a headband that uses EEG sensors to measure brain activity while delivering specific sound pulses to guide users into a deeper sleep. Somni offers a similar electrical stimulation approach to alter brainwave patterns, allowing users to fall asleep faster and sleep longer. These devices demonstrate a concerted effort to leverage technology for addressing widespread sleep difficulties faced by millions.
Light as a Sleep Disruptor
Lumos showcases a unique approach to enhancing sleep quality through a sleep mask that utilizes light to influence circadian rhythms. This technology aims to adjust the wearer’s internal clock, facilitating quicker adaptation to new time zones or shift work schedules. Studies suggest that users feel more refreshed and experience improved sleep after exposure to the light stimulus, potentially resolving issues like jet lag. The convenience of using a mask ensures that light therapy can target the individual without disturbing others in the same environment.
Do you have trouble falling asleep? If meditation apps and sleep trackers aren’t cutting it, now there’s technology designed to help users not only nod off more quickly but improve their slumber. WSJ’s Charlotte Gartenberg speaks with Science Bureau Chief Jo Craven McGinty about the latest wearable sleep tech that targets brain waves with sound and light to help you get a good night’s rest.